Staying active and participating in regular exercise can help your teenager stay healthy. With different activities, and pressure from school and peers, teenagers' lives can be hectic. Skipping meals, eating not-so-healthy foods and not participating in enough physical activity are some habits they can develop. Parents can help teens learn good habits and can set a good example for them.
Nutrition
A healthy eating plan for your teenager should include a variety of foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy sources of protein and fat. Your teenager should also stay within his daily calorie needs, which is influenced by weight, height, age, gender and physical activity habits. Encouraging your teen to eat healthy snacks throughout the day is a good way to help him satisfy his cravings. Eating meals at home can also be an effective way to help your teenager get the right amounts of nutrients he needs.
Exercise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that teenagers participate in 60 minutes of exercise each day. This amount of exercise should include aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening exercises. Help your teenager find activities she likes to increase her chances of sticking with an exercise routine. Team sports, individual sports, or any other activities that help get your teen moving can provide many health benefits.
Benefits
Exercise can benefit almost every part of your teenager's body, including his brain. Exercise can boost your teen's mood, help him sleep better and reduce feelings of mild depression. Eating healthy and participating in regular exercise can also help with weight control and reduce your teenager's risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These conditions, which used to be only found in adults, are becoming more common among teens.
Considerations
Eating family dinner on a regular basis is one important way to help teenagers get more fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods, reports the Weight-control Information Network from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Parents should also set good examples of healthy eating and exercise habits to help teens develop those same habits. Developing healthy lifestyle habits during teenage years can help your teens grow up to be healthy adults.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Weight-control Information Network: Take Charge of Your Health
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for Everyone: How much physical activity do children need?
- KidsHealth.org: Teens Health: Why Exercise is Wise
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